Gone

In spite of disparaging remarks I may have made over the years, I have a great respect for folks who sell stuff for a living. If I had been forced to support myself as a salesman, I might have gone crazy before I starved to death, but either way, I would have been doomed to failure. 

I’ve known that for a long time – I was the only kid in my Boy Scout troop who could not sell a single ticket to the Scout Circus, and those were tax-deductable and only cost a dollar.  So, after weeks of having my old 8-N tractor listed on Craigslist, I was asking myself  “What the Hell was I thinking?”

The frustration of dealing with people I thought were potential customers is beyond belief!  I had several folks make appointments and not show up.  I had one couple drive up from Dickinson in the rain to see it, but the problem was that’s all they wanted to do – see it.  His family had one when he was a kid, and he thought it would be fun to show it to his wife.  She looked for a minute or two then asked me “Is there any good place to eat around here?”

I suspect it was a horse trading ploy, but I had one guy who tried to turn the engine by turning the fan blade.  When that didn’t work, he announced that the engine was obviously frozen up and wasn’t worth fixing.

I was ready to pull the ad – for the second time – when a young man showed up with a U-Haul trailer and cash in hand on Saturday.  We loaded the old trailer up in the rain and he was on his way.

I have a whole greenhouse full of wire sculpture Christmas decorations we don’t put out anymore.  I probably ought to put them on Craigslist, but after the last two months, it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.